ROTC ROOMIES

It’s early to rise for SU’s ROTC cadets, and that schedule doesn’t suit everyone. Starting this fall, students will have the option to room in the ROTC/Veterans Living Learning Community (LLC) in Kieffer Hall, providing an environment for those on a similar schedule and with shared interests to live together.

Dr. Joseph Hasper, ROTC enrollment manager, said the experience will connect students interested in the military with those who already have served. “It will make our cadets more knowledgeable, informed leaders when they enter the service from hearing the war stories and experiences of actual veterans.”

Up to thirty students can opt for the ROTC/Veterans LLC, said Jason Barauskas, assistant director for residential education. “This is one less barrier that students face. You live with someone that already has something in common with you,” he said.

The LLC—the eleventh at Ship—offers suite-style living, a reserved lounge, staff and faculty mentors, and programs developed toward students’ interests. It helps students build a sense of community, Barauskas said.

In addition to the practical benefits of sharing a schedule and resources, Hasper said it reinforces the cadets’ values. “It will give cadets a place where values like loyalty, duty, honor, and integrity are the norm and are expected from everyone.”